Eau Gallie River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eau Gallie River |
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Eau Gallie River facing west from Ballard Park
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| Country | United States |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Eau Gallie, Florida |
| River mouth | Indian River |
The Eau Gallie River is a short river in Florida, United States. It flows for about 3.9 miles (6.3 kilometers) through the town of Eau Gallie. This river is a branch, or tributary, of the larger Indian River. Its mouth, where it joins the Indian River, is close to Hawthorne Point.
River History
The Eau Gallie River was once known by a different name: Elbow Creek. Today, Elbow Creek is a smaller branch and tributary of the Eau Gallie River itself.
In 1895, a bridge was built across the Eau Gallie River, making it easier to cross. Later, in 1907, the Eau Gallie Yacht Club was started. This happened because yachting, which is sailing in fancy boats, became very popular in the area.
Just a few years later, in 1910, the Eau Gallie Yacht Club built its own clubhouse right along the river. The club stayed at this location for many years, until 1960.
Cleaning Up the River
In 2011, people who lived near the river and those who used it for boating started to complain. They noticed that a lot of sediment (which is like mud, sand, and tiny bits of dirt) was building up. This made it hard for small boats to move around.
This sediment was caused by things like nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers. It also came from clay deposits. Sadly, this buildup of muck had started to harm the plants and animals living in the river. Even the Orlando Melbourne International Airport drains some of its water into the river.
Experts estimated that it would cost a lot of money, between $17.9 million and $24.7 million, to dredge the river. Dredging means removing the sediment from the bottom. At that time, cleaning the river was not a top priority.
However, things changed in 2015. County taxpayers approved a special half-cent sales tax. This money was meant to help clean up important water areas like estuaries. Because of this new funding, the county made plans to remove a huge amount of muck from the Eau Gallie River.
They planned to remove about 632,000 cubic yards of muck. This is like filling 42,000 dump trucks! This cleanup also aimed to remove 1,200 short tons of nitrogen and 260 short tons of phosphorus from the river and its tributary, Elbow Creek. This effort helps make the river healthier for everyone.
